New and Used Foton Thunder 2019 for Sale Philippines

‘Chinese-made’ is a term that often conjures images of inferior quality. Fortunately for pickup lovers on a tight budget, the Foton Thunder Philippines bucks that trend with aplomb. With its raised suspension, muscular diesel engine and off-road capabilities, the one-ton truck appears to seduce you to take your place on the driver’s seat and test its mettle on the roads less traveled.

When the Thunder was launched in the Philippines at the 8th Manila International Auto Show back in 2013, it was obvious that Foton wanted to forge a new direction and veer away from China’s infamous copycat cars. The Thunder immediately looked promising because of its Cummins-built engine and GETRAG manual gearbox. These features should be enough to assure owners that the Thunder is built to last. Foton released a sportier version of the Thunder and dubbed it the Foton Thunder Ironman. The upscale trim was launched in the Philippines in March 2015.

It doesn’t appear that Chinese car manufacturer Foton has any plans to update the Thunder pickup truck for 2016. For now, the year model that’s available in the Philippines remains to be the 2015 Foton Thunder.

CARMUDI SCORESHEET FOR FOTON THUNDER 2019

INTERIOR DESIGN

3.9 stars

ENGINE SPECS.

4.1 stars

EXTERIOR DESIGN

4.2 stars

FUEL CONSUMPTION

3.6 stars

CAR FEATURES

3.8 stars

VALUE FOR MONEY

4.1 stars

Foton Thunderoverall score by Carmudi's car expert:Wilbert Tan

4stars

Foton Thunder Review in the Philippines

Foton Thunder Specs and Performance

Under the hood of the Foton Thunder pickup is a Cummins ISF 2.8-liter CRDI diesel engine with an output of 161 hp and peak torque of 360 Nm. A five-speed GETRAG manual transmission delivers the Foton Thunder engine’s power to the wheels. The engine is lightweight, making the vehicle ideal for size-constrained applications. Suspension for the vehicle comes via double wishbone system with spiral spring and sway bar at the front and longitudinal leaf springs at the rear.

Foton Thunder Fuel Consumption

Affordability is arguably the Thunder’s best feature. Just think—you get a decently furnished pickup at a price well below the segment’s norm. All of the heavy-hitters in the pickup segment have top-of-the-line variants priced way above the P1.5 million mark, but the top of the line Thunder—the Foton Thunder Ironman—costs a very affordable P1.468 million. Aside from the price, buyers of these Foton trucks get to enjoy the Thunder’s other perks, such as its superb fuel economy.

New Foton Thunder fuel consumption:

Foton Thunder 2016: 8.3 l/100km average rating

Foton Thunder 2015: 8.3 l/100km average rating

Second hand Foton Thunder fuel consumption:

Foton Thunder 2014: 8.4 l/100km average rating

Foton Thunder 2013: 8.4 l/100km average rating

Foton Thunder Features

Foton Thunder Convenience and Entertainment Features

Foton surprised everybody when it announced the length of the warranty that they placed on the Thunder, which stands at five full years. That says a lot about the relatively new car manufacturer’s confidence on just how reliable their flagship pickup truck can be. But warranty alone does not a quality pickup make. Fortunately, that’s not all the Thunder has to offer. Take a look at the Thunder’s highlight features below:

Driver’s seat with lumbar support

Leather Seats

Dual Airbags

Adjustable Meter Gauge Backlight

Reverse Sensor

AM/FM Radio/CD player

Foton Thunder Safety Features

Safety-wise, the Thunder is instantly a step up from its Chinese brethren as it plays host to a number of safety features absent in many China cars. These include:

Crumple zones

Driver and front passenger airbags

Anti-lock Braking System

Electronic Brakeforce Distribution

Security alarm

Reverse sensor

Foton Thunder Design

Foton Thunder Interior

The Thunder boasts a large interior cabin—one of the largest in its class, in fact. The pickup can comfortably sit five full-grown adults. Though the materials lean toward the plasticky side, the design does look well-crafted and strong enough take a beating. The interior is also well-insulated, providing good protection from outside noise and vibration. Here are some of the features to expect inside the Thunder:

Power windows

Dual airbags

Interior lights with off delay

AUX and USB ports

3-pt. ELR seatbelts

Seatbelt reminder

Foton Thunder Exterior

The Thunder follows a ladder-frame construction with a solidity that’s enhanced by a rigid chassis and reinforced steel body. Coupled with an independent double wishbone front suspension and parallel leaf spring rear suspension, the Thunder owners are assured of good balance and stability on the road and off. Below are the rest of the Thunder’s notable exterior features:

Halogen Headlamps

Adjustable Height Headlamps

Side view Mirror

Electric Mirror with Auto Defrost

Snorkel

Roll bars

Foton Thunder Color Options

Five colors make up the Foton Thunder color spectrum. These are:

Ibis White

Passion Red

Phantom Black

Bright Silver

Metallic Gray

Blue

Foton Thunder Price List in the Philippines

Foton currently has 20 dealerships across the nation, with plenty more set to open. Carmudi has the links to Foton Thunder Philippines pickups sold at these dealerships, but you may also contact these dealerships directly to ask for a Foton truck price list. The Foton Thunder is a relatively new vehicle model in the Philippines, and as such, there are very few 2nd hand Foton Thunder for sale. That said, you can expect the best priced second hand Foton Thunder models to grace Carmudi’s listings in the future as the model continues to age.